A Life Risen from Ashes
by RedHeadWonder
Summary: Marinette just couldn’t deal with the constant reminders. She had to get away from Paris. She had to renew her life.


The bakery. Her home, the place where all her memories were kept. The place she first learned to love. The place she lost her first tooth. The place where she learned how to make her first macaroon. The place of her first smile. All of it was gone. Blown away with the ashes. They say she is lucky, that she should be glad to be alive. But what kind of person is glad to survive a fire without their parents? Who is happy when their parents died to save them? Who is glad to be alone? Not her. Marinette is standing at the curb of her, now fire stricken, home, as firemen work to put out the remaining flames. Tears sting her eyes. She would not cry, they were strong for her, she will be strong for them. She tried and failed such a mission when one of the firemen handed her a charred picture frame. One that contained a single photo, the last picture she had taken with her parents. She broke in that instant. And right then she knew that she could not stay in Paris any longer. She would finish her senior year of high school, but she would never, ever be the same.

Marinette was eighteen, so she received her parents' life insurance. What's better than getting money just because your family is dead? A lot of things. With this money she set up a nice funeral. And with the rest, she bought a nice place in the American city, New York and a plane ticket. Her flight would leave in two days, after graduation. That night, she slept in a motel. She could have stayed with Alya but, she didn't want to talk to anyone, not even Tikki.

Tomorrow, she would get up early, believe it or not, and buy a whole new wardrobe.

She didn't fall asleep easily. Instead, she stared at the ceiling of her room as she listened to the argument of a couple in the next room over.

"You're the one who wanted to come here in the first place!"

"Well, I'm sorry I wanted to enjoy our honeymoon! Maybe I'll just leave, if you want to be alone!"

"FINE. YOU DO THAT!"

Marinette heard their voices fade. And then, the door slammed. It hurt her heart. So many people took for granted what they have. She did. That couple could just as easily lose everything...

Marinette finally closed her eyes.

"MAMA! PAPA!" Marinette yelled

Fire erupted from behind her. She couldn't find her parents anywhere. She needed to get out, but she couldn't go without her family. There was only one thing left to do.

"TIKKI! TIKKI! Where are you?"

With in just a few moments, Marinette could hear the voice of her kwami.

"I'm right here Marinette! But I can't see you! Just transform and I'll be pulled to you."

Though she could hardly breathe, Marinette said the three words that, though not yet known by her, save her life.

"Tikki! SPOTS ON!"

Ladybug used her yo-yo to pull herself out of the threatening position she was currently in. She forced herself to walk from there. Her legs felt weak. She felt like her lungs were about to explode. But, she pushed through anyway.

"MAMA! PAPA?"

Ladybug heard the muffled scream of her mother.

"Marine—" The voice of her mother left her ears as she broke into a coughing fit. Ladybug ran to the source. What she saw was something she would never forget. Her mother and father were pinned under a large piece of wood. She rushed towards them. She grabbed her mother's blackened hand.

"Mama? Papa?" Ladybug's voice broke as the words escaped her mouth. Her father seemed as if he was unconscious, and her mother, she looked like she was in a lot of pain.

" Ladybug?" Her mother was awake! However, it was then that Marinette realized, she was Ladybug right now. She tried to lift the piece of wood that trapped her parents, but it was too big. She didn't know what to do. So she cried. She cried so much.

Sabine was confused. Why was Ladybug crying? And where was her daughter?

"Ladybug?" Sabine whispered

The girl looked down at her, tears clouding her eyes.

"Ladybug? My daughter! You have to save her!"

Ladybug dropped in front of the poor woman. She may not be able to save her parents, but she could at least give them the gift of knowing she's safe, and always will be.

"Spots off"

As Marinette's transformation dropped, Sabine's eyes widened.

"I'm right here Mama. I'm right here."

Sabine just stares at her, eyes wide and curious.

"Marinette?"

Marinette laughs a sad laugh.

"Yes Mama, it's me. I'm safe."

Sabine's eyes tear up. She lifts a weak hand to her daughters face, a boken smile spreads across her face.

" I'm so proud of you. I should have known you wouldn't need saving" another piece of wood falls close to them, angry flames engulf it. "Run Marinette!"

"No! I-I'll get you out." Marinette pushes herself up, ready to use her strength. But Sabine's hand grabs her arm before she gets a chance to try.

"Please Marinette? For me?"

Marinette falls to her knees, grabs her mother's hand and sobs. That is, until Sabine, with the last of her strength, squeezes Marinette's hand and says...

"I love you. Please know that. I am so proud of you. You will always be my hero."

"I love you t- Mama? MAMA!?! NO!" A single tear fell from Marinette's eyes as she realized what had just happened.

"No."

Marinette was so absorbed in what was happening that she did not even hear the approaching fireman. Soon, a strong hand grabs her shoulder. The fireman tries to pull her away, but she works against him. She kicks and screams, cries and begs, but it's no use. The fireman drags her from the house.

"MAMA! PAPA!"

Marinette awakes with a start. She had been having the same nightmare since the fire.

"Marinette? Are you okay?" Tikki asks, even though she knows Marinette won't answer.

Marinette rolls over and checks the clock beside her bed.

5:00 a.m.

Marinette gets up, and takes a shower, hoping that the water will help her wake up from this living nightmare.

Once she is done showering, she puts on the simple jeans and T-shirt the fire department had given her. She grabs the single debit card on the nightstand, and leaves the hotel room. Tikki hides in the small breast pocket of Marinette's shirt, hoping Marinette will be okay.

Marinette makes her way to the boutique across the road. The signs reads open, though no one is inside. But, Marinette likes it this way. No one around means that there is no one to look at her with pity. Everyone, by now that is, knows her and her story. She makes her way to the women's section. All the colors are so happy and bright, they seem to scream ' _LOOK AT ME!'_ And Marinette isn't in the mood to have her usual happy colors. _So_ Marinette looks for dark colors. She comes across a pair of black ripped jeans, and a shirt that was all black, except for the small cat print on the top right shoulder. She grabs a black jean jacket, along with an extra navy blue shirt. She's happy with what she has found, and moved on to shoes. It takes her a while to find what she's looking for. But she finds them soon enough. Black high tops, with a three inch wedge-heel grab her attention. She grabs them quickly and heads to self checkout, she doesn't want to risk having to talk to a peppy cashier.

Once she's done checking out, she sees that it is 6:15. So she heads back to the hotel to get changed.

She gets done changing at around, 6:30. She doesn't bother with her normal pigtails, instead, she just runs her fingers through her hair. Once she is happy with her appearance, she grabs her jacket, putting it on only moments later. Without a purse, Tikki has to hide in the inner pocket of her jacket.

As Marinette walks out of the hotel and heads to school, Tikki can't help but worry.

 _What if she never smiles again?_ She thinks

When she gets to school, she manages to make it to her classroom without being noticed. However, when she enters the classroom, everyone surrounds her. All of them asking the same question.

"How are you Marinette? Are you okay?"

Marinette lets out an irritated sigh.

It was going to be a long couple of days.

 **Thanks for reading! What do you guys think? Please leave any thoughts in the comments.**


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